Improvement in printing-presses



5Sheets-Sheet 1. .C. KRITCH & A. GREENWOOD.

PRINTING-PRESS.

No. 188,151. Patented March 6,1877.

N. FEIEHS, PHDTO-LITHUGRAPHER. WASNINW. D C.

5 Sheets-Sheet Z. W. C. KRITCH 8:. A. GREENWOOD.

PRINTING-PRESS. N 138,151 Patented March 6,1377.

F/GIZ.

N. PETERS. PHOTO UTHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D C

5Sheets-Sheet 3. W. C. KRITCH & ALGREENWOOD.

PRINTING-PRESS. No. 188,151. Patented March 6,1877.

lfirwsses:

M PEI'ERS, PHOTQ'LITHOGRAPHER, WASEHNGTON, D C.

PRINTING-PRESS.

flilrwsws.

ILFETE-RS. PHOm-LITNOGRAPIIER. WASHINGTON. DC

5 Sheets-Sheet 5. W. C. KRITCH & A. GREENWOOD.

PRINTING-PRESS.

N0.188,151. Patented March 6,1877.

Vhwsea:

NPETEHS, FHOT R. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. KRITOH AND ARTHUR GREENWOOD, OF LEEDS, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT lN PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 188, I 51, dated March6, 1877; application filed December 30, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM OASPAR KRITOH and ARTHUR GREENWOOD, both ofLeeds, in the county of York, England, have invented certainImprovements in Printing- Presses, of which the following is aspecification:

This invention'of improvements in printing machinery relates to variousimprovements in the construction of platen printing-machines, wherebypositive mechanical motions, as far as practicable, are imparted to thevarious working parts of the machine, instead of employing springs, asheretofore, for effecting some of the motions. By this means we areenabled to construct a more effective and substantial machine than thoseheretofore employed.

The first improvement relates to a novel arrangement of ink fountain orduct, whereby a greater quantity of ink may be contained in thefountain, and, by the constant working of the fountain-cylinder, a moreperfect supply and distribution of ink is obtained. The fountain is soarranged and constructed that the supply of ink can be instantlyregulated or entirely out ofl when required, and this is effected bymeans of regulating-screws for working the sliding journals which carrythe fountain-cylinder. The entire ink-fountain is mounted upon a slide,and can be drawn out of gear by releasing the locking-screws whichretain it in its position. The principal cylinders for receiving the inkfrom the fountain are supplied by means of intermediate rollers, whichrun in contact with the fountain-roller, and thus carry the ink forward.These rollers are driven by friction, and to secure the perfectdistribution of ink one of the distributing-rollers is mounted insliding boxes immediately above the intermediate roller. An endwaysliding motion is imparted to this distributing-roller by means of a camand lever, so that the ink may be more properly distributed over thesurface of the other rollers.

The inking-rollers are constructed in the usual manner adopted in thisclass of platenmachine, and are mounted in a carriage or frame, to whicha vertical motion across the chase is imparted by means of a bell-cranklever provided with a bowl or pin, for working in a cam-groove on theface of the main driving-wheel of the machine. This pin can bedisconnected by means of a lever, placed in a convenient position at thefront of the machine, from the cam-groove of the main driving-wheel.

The second part of this invention relates to an improved mode ofmounting and working the platen, and to the arrangement of some of theparts for adjusting the pressure on the printing-surface. The bridge towhich the platen is connected moves on two horizontal slides at rightangles to the type-bed of the machine. A backward and forward motion isimparted to this bridge by means of cranks placed at either end of themain shaft, and connected by means of links. The bridge is connected, bymeans of a slotted link, to the frame of the machine, so that, as thebridge is forced by the crank away from the type-bed, the platen will betipped into a convenient and almost horizontal position for the operatorto feed the paper onto it, and remove the printed sheet therefrom. Asthe cranks draw the bridge toward the type-bed the slotted link willforce the platen to assume a vertical position, exactly parallel to thetype-bed. This position is assumed at a short distance from thetype-bed, so that, during the latter part of the forward motion, theplaten will advance in a perfectly straight or parallel line toward thetype. To secure this parallel motion flat surfaces at the under side ofthe bridge come in contact with and slide upon similar flat surfaces onthe frame of the machine. Beveled edges are attached to the frame, andembrace the projecting flat surfaces attached to the bridge, and thussecure the steady advance of the platen toward the type. Passing throughthe center of the bridge is a shaft, each end of which is madeeccentric, and upon these eccentric ends the connecting-rods from thecranks are mounted. This shaft has attached to it a spring lever, whichpasses through an opening near the middle of the bridge, so that if theoperator should desire to throw the impression-surface out of workinstantly, he can do so without stopping the machine by simply movingthe spring-lever on its center of motion. This will partially rotate theeccentric shaft, and draw the platen a certain distance away from thetype.

in the accompanying drawing we have shown various views of aprinting-machine constructed according to our improvements.

Figure 1 is a side, and Fig. 2 is a front, elevation of the machine.Fig. 3 is a back view, showing the mechanism for throwing theinking-rollers in and out of gear. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of someof the working parts, showing the type'bed, the platen and itsappendages, and the inking apparatus. Fig. 5 is a back view of theplaten and an elevation of inking-carriage. Fig. 6 shows the lever andlinks for throwing the inkingrollers in and out of action, detached.

a is the frame-work of the machine; b, the main driving-shaft, at oneend of which is keyed a flywheel, and at the other end a pair of drivng-pulleys. On the driving-shaft I) is keyed a pinion, e, which gearsinto a large toothed wheel, f, which is keyed upon the shaft 9. Upon theouter face of the. wheel f, and upon the outer face of a disk, It, whichis keyed on the opposite end of the shaft g, are fixed suitableeccentric pins 2', to which are jointed the rods k k, whereby a backwardand forward movement is given to the bridge j, upon which the platen lis mounted. This bridge j slides upon suitable V surfaces j on theframework a of the machine. Passing through the bridge j is a shaft, m,and the ends of this shaft are turned eccentric to the center portion,and are embraced by the ends of the draw-bars k. This shaft m may bepartially rotated by means of a lever, 12, passing through a suitableopening in the bridge j. By moving this lever non its fulcrum, andthereby causing the shaft in to turn, the distance between the face ofthe platen l and the face or bed of the main casting a, upon which theform 0 (containing the type) rests, is increased. The object of thismotion is to enable the operator to throw off suddenly theimpression-surface while the machine is at work, and this is efl'ectedby simply turning the eccentric shaft in, and consequently withdrawingthe platen a short distance from the form.

This lever n is held in position by a catch, 11, mounted on a segment,q, attached to the bridgej. This catch 1) is adjustable, so as toregulate the amount of pressure or impression required. The platen l isattached to the bridgej by means of four screws, 1, which enable theplaten to be adjusted with accuracy parallel with the form. 0n the lowerside of the bridge j is a lug or bracket, 8, (shown by dots in Fig. 1,)and which is con nected by means of a pin,s, to the link it. The otherend of this link t is attached by a pin to another lug or bracket, it,fixed to the framework of the machine. The action of this link t,connected as it is to the bridge by one end, and to the frame-work bythe other, is to tilt the platen l on its backward motion, and bring itto an almost horizontal position, so

as to enable the operator to place the paper on, and to remove theprinted sheet from, the platen l of the machine.

On the forward motion of the bridge j and platen l, this link t throwsthe platen into a vertical position, which is assumed just before theplaten comes in contact with the form, so that the platen is perfectlyvertical before the impression is made. To secure this perfectlyparallel advance, suitable projections or feet are provided on frame orplate, at 1), Figs. 1 and 2, for the bridge to move forward upon when itcomes in contact therewith, a lip on the lower side passing undersuitable projections on the frame-work of the machine. Gripers w, whichact as a frisket to hold the paper, are mounted on thelower edge of theplaten l, in the usual manner. The object of these gripers is towithdraw the paper from the type after the impression has been made.They receive the requisite motion from the hnk x and spring 00*.

Upon suitable flat surfaces, at the upper part of the back of frame-worka, is mounted the ink-fountain y. (See Fig. 4.) This inkfountain is heldin position by two thumbscrews, 2, so that by loosening thesethumbscrews the ink-fountain may be readily slid back out of gear withthe machine. In this ink-fountain is a fountain-cylinder, a, mounted inbearings, and having a constant rotating motion given to it by suitablegearing driven from the wheel f, as shown in the side elevation, Fig. 1.

The amount of ink taken up by the fountaincylinder is regulated by ascraper, b, Fig. 4, which may be adjusted to bear heavily or lightlyupon it by means of the thumb-screws c. This fountain-cylinder a runs incontact with an interniediate roller, (1, which is driven by friction ofcontact from the principal inking cylinder e. This cylinder e is drivenby gearing from the whcelf, and is supplied with ink by the intermediateroller d.

To secure perfect distribution of ink upon the cylinders adistributin-g-cylinder, f, is mounted immediately over the roller 01,and is driven by friction of contact with it. This distributingcylinderfreceives an endwise reciprocating motion by means of a lever, 9, Fig. 1,and motion is imparted to this lever by means of a grooved cam andrunner, h, driven by gearing from the wheelf. The end of the lever gworks between collars at the end of the distributing-cylinder f, asshown at Fig. 2, and thus imparts to it the reciprocating motion givenby the cam It. The ink now passes from the principal ink-cylinder e ontothe roller j, Fig. 4, and from that to the roller j. Both these rollersare driven by friction of contact, and operate in conjunction with theprincipal inking-roller, to carry the ink onto the inking rollers k,which are mounted in sliding bushes in the frame m, and are kept incontact with the ink-cylinder e by means of springs. The sliding frame mreceives a vertical or up-and-down motion over the face of the form 0through the arms 11. a, one on each side of the machine, motion beingcommunicated to these parts by a scroll cam-groove, f out in the innerface of the wheel f, as shown at Fig. 1, by means of friction-rollersattached to said arms and working in said grooves. On the shaft n*, onwhich the bent levers n, Fig. l, are mounted, is keyed an arm, M, whichis connected by a link, a to a bell-crank lever, n, which has its centerof motion in a bearing; n fixed to the framing of the machine. Thisbell-crank lever 12, carries a pin. 10, which works in the cam-groove f*of the wheel f, which therefore rocks the bell-crank lever a and,through it and its link a actuates the rock-shaft, to which the bentarms at are attached, and works the vertical frame m up and down. Theinking-rollers k are thus moved by the action of the machine across theface of the form after each impression, and will transfer the ink to itfrom the inking-cylinder c. A weight, 0 which has its center of motionat o", is connected by a link, 0 to another arm on the shaft n*-, andtherefore acts with the arms 11. to counterbalance the frame m.

To enable the operator to stop the up-anddown motion of theinking-rollers it while the machine is at work, an arrangement isprovided to withdraw the pin 10 of the bellcrank n from the cam-grooveof the wheel f. The pin 10 is capable of a lateral motion in a suitablebearing in one end of the bell-cranklever n, so that it may be drawn outof the camgroove in the wheel f. This pin 10 is surrounded by a coiledspring, the tendency of which is to withdraw the pin from the camgroove. If this action of the spring on the pin 10 were not controlledwhen the machine is at work the inking-carriage would remain standingwith the inking-rollers at the top of the strokethat is,in contact withthe inkingcylinder 0. When the inking-rollers k are required to moveacross the type and supply the form with ink, a lever, q, (showndetached in Fig. 6,) placed conveniently in front of the machine, isforced down. This lever is connected to another lever, 'r, by the link8. The further extremity of the lever 1" is provided with an inclinededge, which, when brought against a runner, t, atthe end of the pin 10',forces the latter into the cam-groove in the wheel f,- and so long asthis lever r is allowed to remainin this position the inking-rollers Itwill continue to work across the type after every impression; but whenthe lever q is raised the lever T will be moved out of the way of theend of the pin 1), which thus becomes free, and the pin will be forcedby the spring out of the cam-groove. The wheel f will then rotatewithout acting on the inking apparatus. The lever r is arranged in sucha position that this can only take place when the inking-rollers k areat the top of the stroke.

Having now described our invention and explained the manner of carryingthe same into effect, we claim- 1. The combination, with the principalinking-cylinder c, of a constantly-rotating inksupply roller, a, mountedin a fountain, y, which latter is capable of being slid back on, orentirely removed from, its seat, on which it may be secured in anyposition by means of clamping-screws 2, such adjustable fountain y andconstantly-rotating ink-supply roller being provided with an adjustablescraper, b, and regulating-screw 0, so that by such scraper bearingeither heavily or lightly on the inksupply roller, the supply of ink tothe distributing and inking rollers may be regulated as may be desired,as herein set forth.

2. The combination of the curved levers 11), mounted on the rock-shaftn*, with the bellcrank lever n linked to an arm, M, on the rock-shaft10*, and provided with a springpin,p, the end of which works in thecamgroove f* of the large driving-wheel], for the purpose of moving theinking-rollers It at the required intervals across the face of the type,substantially in the manner herein set forth.

3. The combination, with the spring-pin 1), (which is capable of lateralmotion,) of the lever 1", link 8, and hand-lever q, whereby the lever 1"may be withdrawn (when desired) from the end of the spring 1), whichwill then be forced back out of the groove f by its spring, and theabove parts being combined with the mechanism formoving the inkingroller70 across the face of the type, and which inking mechanism will then bethrown out of action when required, substantially as and for the purposeherein set forth.

4. The platen-bridge mounted upon a shaft journaled eccentrically inblocks which move upon horizontal guides, said shaft being provided witha lever projecting through an aperture in the platen-bridge, andprovided with a clamping device for adjusting and holding the platen inthe desired position, in combination with the feet 4) and brackets s andu, constructed and arranged substantially as described, whereby theplaten is thrown back to receive the paper as it recedes from the type,and is presented squarely to the face of the type as it approaches thesame, as set forth.

Dated the 27th day of November, 1875.

WM. 0. KRITOH. ARTHUR GREENWOOD. Witnesses:

WILLIAM VEVERS, WILLIAM J. GREEN, Clerks to Messleurs Teale ct Appleton,

Solicitors, Leeds.

